Bird Flu
by I.Love.Dick.Grayson
Summary: For the Disease and Illness challenge: my illness was bird flu, so of course I chose Robin to be my culprit! I love him :p. The team is on a mission in India when Robin suddenly gets sick. Can they save him? Really bad summary. NO SLASHHHH. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: **

**Hi! This is my entry for the Disease and Illness challenge in the YJ forum! My illness is bird flu, so, I picked Robin to be my culprit. I love torturing that poor boy. I looked up the symptoms/causes of bird flu as best as I could, but still, if you notice something that is incorrect, please tell me! **

**I whipped this up pretty quick, so it's not gonna be all that good -_- Chapter 2 is in progress.**

**I am so so SO sorry for the long wait for Sacrifice: I shouldn't have said that I'll have it up by Monday :P But I promise, it will be up soon. I didn't realize how busy my vaction is. Chapter 4 is almost done. Again, sorry, guys.**

**Can't wait for season 2 of YJ! No hiatus! I'm so happpyyyy :D**

**Most of this will be third person limited POV. For those who have no idea what that is, it's where the story is told by a narrator that only knows one character's thoughts. In this case, the character is Wally. And this is before Zatanna joined the team.**

**Here are some quick facts about bird flu, so it's easier for you guys to understand:**

**Humans can catch it by coming in contact with infected birds or infected birds' droppings :p**

**The symptoms start after about two days of coming in contact with the virus**

**Symptoms include: flu-related symptoms, muscle aches, coughing, nausea and vomiting, fever, and in severe cases, pneumonia or bronchitis**

**Humans cannot spread the virus to other humans unless they have a direct contact (salivary, blood, etc. Not touching) **

**There is a developed vaccine for bird flu. But the infected person needs to receive it within a few days of becoming sick or else- they die! XP**

**Review, please! And sorry for the essay of an author's note :p**

**~Zara**

**Warnings: none, and like all my other stories, this is not meant to be slash. At all. Just bromance.**

It started off as another covert mission, as always.

The team was in the northern part of India. They were being sent to protect the mayor of Ahmadabad, one of India's largest districts. Apparently, the mayor, Vora, was being targeted by an assassination group by the name of "The Abilene." It was a supposedly small group, but deadly nonetheless. Vora was a wealthy man who was planning on running for mayor again. The reason he was being targeted was unknown even to Batman: Vora appeared to be a fair mayor. He was liked by the majority of his people. He was a financial supporter of the Justice League, the main reason why Batman had opted to send the team for help.

The team was split into groups, which were to be stationed around the mayor's home. Kid Flash was in a group Robin and Aqualad. Miss Martian, Superboy, and Artemis were a separate group.

Vora's home, or rather, mansion, was an absolutely _gigantic_ estate and sat in the middle of a jungle-ish area. The climate was hot and humid and many exotic animals could be seen all around. The house stood away from the busy part of the city. Upon first look, it was the only building around in the jungle.

Now, Kid Flash moaned as a drop of sweat rolled down his face. It was around nine o'clock in the evening. The temperature had only dropped a few degrees even with the sun down. He and Robin were perched on a tall oak tree, sitting on one of its sturdy braches, about fifty feet up. Wally and the others were all in stealth uniforms. He had his legs dangling over the edge of the branch while Robin crouched on it, holding a pair of binoculars up to his masked eyes. Aqualad was hidden in the many bushes below them. He too looked uncomfortable in the heat.

This was their third day on their stakeout. There had been no activity from the assassins yet, but with the day for election drawing nearer, they were bound to strike soon. The rest of the team was on the opposite side of the house.

"Dude, how are you not tired of sitting like that?" Wally moaned, looking over at Robin. The Boy Wonder had been crouching on the branch for the past two hours, barely moving.

"Used to it," Robin replied. "And keep your voice down!"

Wally moaned for the third time, swatting at the flies swarming around his head. "This is _so boring…_" he said, looking down at Aqualad.

The Atlantian managed to hear Wally's voice from above him. "I am aware," he said, speaking into his com unit. They had neglected the use of their telepathic link, what with the close proximity they were in of each other. "But please, remain patient and keep a sharp eye out."

Wally pouted and folded his arms. He hated staying still. That was, of course, understandable, with him being a speedster and all. But his abnormally warm body temperature was getting to him. He loved being hotter than usual in the winter, but at the moment, in the tropic-like climate of India, he loathed it.

He sighed, glancing over at his best friend. "See anything?"

Robin waited a moment before replying. "No," he said, wincing.

Wally frowned. "Something wrong?" he asked.

Robin finally shifted from his position, moving to one akin to Wally's. "Nah, just sore from staying like that. Just because I'm used to it doesn't mean I like it."

Wally nodded, sighing again. He leaned his head against the trunk of the tree, looking downwards. There was still no sign of anything unusual happening. "Hey, Supey. Anything happening on your guys' side?" he asked, pressing his com unit.

"Don't you think we would have _called _you if there was?" Superboy deadpanned.

"Okay, okay, geesh," Wally grumbled, settling back against the trunk of the tree and folding his legs in front of him at the knees.

A few moments passed in silence. Said silence was broken when Robin started to cough.

Wally jerked from his position and Kaldur glanced upward.

"Rob, dude, seriously. Are you okay?" Wally asked, looking at the little bird. Robin had his back to Wally, coughing into his arm.

Robin cleared his throat, turning to face the speedster. "Yeah, fine. Sorry about that," he said in a slightly hoarse voice.

"Is everything alright?" Kaldur called.

Wally still looked concerned but Robin waved him away. "Fine, Aqualad."

Wally frowned again as Robin shot him a glare. "Rob, seriously. If you're sick-"

He was cut off by a sudden noise. Robin made shushing motions as they heard the sound of twigs snapping. And something else-

Voices.

"Miss M, Arty, Superboy!" Robin said into his com unit. "We've got activity on-"

The sound of a machine gun suddenly filled the ears of the three boys. Wally cursed and swiftly climbed down the tree, landing next to Aqualad, who had his water-bearers at the ready.

Robin climbed down a bit slower. He swayed when his feet touched the ground and he saw Wally glance at him worriedly.

The three of them ran towards the sound of the gun as Artemis' voice sounded in each of their ears. "Same here, there's about four people on our side."

Robin, Aqualad, and Wally arrived at where they thought they had heard the gunshots. Robin looked around slowly, his trained eyes seeking out the shape of a body in the darkness, the only source of light being the full moon shining overhead.

"There!" he said, pointing. The Atlantian and speedster looked at where Robin was pointing to see a man running away from them, holding on to another person.

"He's got Vora!" Kid Flash shouted.

"Go, Wally! We will be behind you!" Aqualad said. Wally nodded and zoomed off.

He followed the dark haired man deeper into the jungle, tripping over the occasional tree root. He felt irritated at himself as he stumbled and fell forward. Chasing someone and not catching them was unusual for Kid Flash.

Finally, the man stopped running, stopping in a clearing.

Wally skidded to a halt as he got a good look at the assassin. He heard Kaldur and Robin arrive too, stopping on either side of him.

The man's face was revealed in the moonlight. He had sharp cheekbones and brown hair, his eyes glinting cruelly as he held a gun to his shorter companion's head.

"That- that's not-" Wally stammered, looking at the "hostage."

"No, I am not Vora, you idiots," the shorter man said, grinning and stepping away from the man with the gun. "But now that you have left him unprotected, we can finally finish our job."

"And get rid of you all while we're at it," the brown-haired man said. Both men's voices held a hard to place accent. He suddenly let out a long, shrill whistle.

Out of the darkness, six more men appeared, holding multiple weapons and wearing all black clothing. They stood side by side behind the two men the heroes had been pursuing.

Aqualad and Kid Flash quickly sank into fighting stances.

And then Robin dropped to his knees, coughing.

The men laughed as Wally gasped.

"Rob! What's-" he broke off as he kneeled next to Robin, who was breathing heavily.

"One of you is already ill? Easier for us," the shorter man said, motioning for the six new men to approach the teens.

"Kid, get Robin away from here, now!" Kaldur shouted as the men fired their guns.

Wally grabbed Robin bridal-style, dodging an array of bullets. "What about y-"

"I shall follow. Go, now!" Aqualad yelled, forming a shield and using it to block the numerous bullets being fired at him.

Wally gulped and nodded, holding Robin tighter. He ran off as Aqualad threw a well aimed punch at the man closest to him.

Wally ran for a few minutes, worry for his best friend filling him. Robin had not said a single word and his breath was coming in pants.

He looked around frantically for some sort of shelter, and, upon seeing none, gave a growl of frustration.

Robin raised a slightly shaking arm and pulled up a holograph, showing the geography of the area they were in.

"T-there," he said, showing Kid Flash something on the map. "T-there's a cave a m-mile west of where we-" Robin's words were interrupted by another fit of coughing.

"Don't talk," Wally said, already starting towards the location of the map.

_What the heck is a cave doing in the middle of a jungle in India? _he thought vaguely. He heard the sound of footsteps again and stopped to look over his shoulder fearfully. There were two men pursuing them, but they were too far away to shoot at them.

He started running again, not being as swift as usual because he was carrying Robin. Not that he was heavy or anything. But the heat was still getting to Wally and he was starting to feel hungry. He had a few protein bars on him, though. He would eat one once they arrived at the cave.

"Aqualad. You there?" Kid Flash said into his com.

"Yes. Where are you? More men have arrived, and the others are protecting Vora!" Kaldur yelled over the noise of the guns.

"Robin's found a cave, a few miles from Vora's place. I'm taking him there. There are two men following us. Sending you coordinates of the cave now," Wally replied, taking a moment to do so.

"Received. I shall join you once I am done here. Aqualad out."

Wally shifted his hold on Robin and started running again. Within a few minutes, they arrived at the cave.

Wally pushed aside the branches of a few shorter trees that stood around the whole outside of the cave. He peered inside.

It looked much like the place Kobra had disappeared to on one of their earlier missions, the one in Santa Prisca*. It was a fairly large cave. It was, obviously, dark, and it smelled oddly of spices.

Wally rushed inside and gently set Robin down on the hard ground, looking around. There were wooden crates lining the walls of the cave. Squinting, Wally saw that they were crates of spices: paprika, cinnamon, nutmeg, turmic powder, and others that Wally did not bother to read.

Wally wiped his forehead as he sat down next to Robin.

The Boy Wonder was still panting and sweat glistened on his forehead, matting his ebony hair slightly. He winced every time he moved.

"What's wrong, Dick?" Wally whispered, moving Robin so that they were both leaning against the wall of the cave.

"Dunno…feels…like…the flu, or something," Robin replied in a weak voice, too out of it to even berate Wally for using his real name. "Was fine…yesterday…"

The two sat in silence for several minutes until Robin started to cough again.

Wally frowned with concern as they heard someone approach the cave from outside. Wally jumped to his feet immediately, taking a protective stance in front of his sick friend.

He relaxed when he saw that it was Aqualad, panting and sporting a small cut on his cheek that was leaking blood.

"The others are taking care of the other men now. I informed them that Robin is ill and of our location. Is he alright?" their leader asked, kneeling next to the little bird.

"I don't know. He said it feels like the flu but it looks worse, don't you think?" Wally asked, kneeling on Robin's other side.

"Check his temperature. I am going to make sure that I was not followed," Kaldur said, wiping at his cheek as he stood. He strode to the entrance of the cave.

Wally sat down next to his best friend again. He pulled off both of his gloves. He took the back of his hand and laid it gently against Robin's forehead. It was hot. Not warm, _hot._ Wally swallowed, pulling his hand away.

"Jeez, Rob. You're- you're burning up!" he said, frightened.

Robin merely hummed in response, resting his head against Wally's shoulder. Wally shifted and put his arms around the boy he considered a little brother.

Robin was shivering, despite the fact that his face was blazing. His breath was raspy and he coughed uncontrollably every other moment.

"What else doesn't feel right?" Wally asked worriedly.

"Muscles…hurt bad...like I…I got hit by a truck or…somethin'-" Robin paused to cough. "Kinda…hurts to…to breathe. And it's…c-cold…"

Wally gulped at the end of Robin's words. He hugged Robin tighter, rubbing his arms, attempting to heat the already warm skin.

Kaldur reentered the cave. "There are no signs of anything unusual. How is Robin?" he asked again, sitting down on Robin's right.

"He's got a pretty high fever, but he said he's cold. His muscles hurt badly. And he's having trouble breathing," Wally informed him, and concern filled Kaldur's face.

Kaldur'ahm felt Robin's forehead himself, flinching at the heat radiating off of Robin's skin. Robin was on the verge of passing out, his head still resting on Wally's shoulder.

"We should not move him. It might worsen his condition," Aqualad decided. "I shall tell the team to bring the bio-ship to us."

"Too bad you won't get a chance to do such a thing," a voice called out.

**Yeah, a cliffy. Sorry!**

*** You know when Kobra said, "Another time, then" in episode 4, Drop Zone? After he said that, he backed up into the trees and when Robin went to look behind the leaves, there was like a tunnel/cave thingy. That's what I was picturing in my head. Sorry for the unrealisticness, if thats even a word: I know that it's really dumb for me to put a cave in the middle of India :O**

**Hopefully, this is something to keep you guys happy until I get chapter 4 of Sacrifice up. Chapter 2 for this, again, is in progress. I think it'll be a three-shot at most, not sure.**

**Please review and tell me stuff you guys wanna see: I'll try to incorporate it it!**

**I proof-read this quickly, so there's bound to be mistakes: as always, please point 'em out!**

**~Zara**

**PS. Some of you might notice that I'm not ranting about Performance. ;) That's cuz I made that a part of Sacrifice's AN :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:**

**Well, I finished this much sooner than I thought! I hope it doesn't seem rushed!**

**I seriously cannot wait for season two of YJ. I'm not extremely **_**excited**_** for the season finale cuz I was an idiot and watched the leaked versions.**

**I just looked to the top of my Microsoft Word page thing (I have Windows 7). You know, where it says Home, Insert, Page Layout, and all that stuff? The last thing says Acrobat. ROBIN! Lol, sorry, I just had to say it.**

**Spring break ends in like, one day. So I probably won't update the Tenacious Trio for a while. :/**

**Hope you guys like this! And please review! I know a lot of authors say this, but seriously, do you know how annoying it is to get more favorite/following alerts than reviews?**

**To those who did review, thanks so much!**

**Quickly, to refresh your guys' memories: symptoms of bird flu include flu-like symptoms, nausea and vomiting, and fever.**

**For the first person who reviewed, an anon, I'm sorry, but I'm not incorporating Jason or any other Bat-kids into this story. Sorry! (lol, I rhymed.)**

**Shutting up now.**

**~Zara**

**Warnings: vomiting…I think that's it.**

* * *

"_To bad you won't get a chance to do such a thing," a voice called out._

Wally gave a yelp, tightening his grip on Robin again. Kaldur stood quickly and drew his water-bearers. He opted to protect Robin and Kid Flash instead of going to the entrance of the cave.

A decision that ultimately saved his life.

The voice sounded again. "This is for interfering with our plans. Consider it…a gift, for the Justice League."

A second later, something was thrown into the front of the cave and it emitted a shrill beeping noise.

"BOMB!" Kaldur and Wally shouted at the same time, flinging their bodies over Robin's.

The bomb exploded, the sound resounding loudly and sending a cascade of rocks down from the cave's ceiling. The spice crates flew apart, their fragments smacking the walls and hitting the two older heroes.

Wally and Kaldur remained on top of Robin after the explosion ended.

After a moment, Kaldur sat up, coughing in the dust. Wally did the same and they simultaneously looked at their sick teammate, struggling to see in the blackness.

Robin was not injured but he was unconscious, his breath rattling in his chest. He still shivered.

"Are you injured?" Aqualad asked Wally.

Wally looked down at himself, but it was pointless as they were in total darkness. He could feel a few cuts on his torso and another few on his back, but nothing serious.

"Nah, you?" he said.

"No. But we need light," Kaldur said.

"Hang on," Wally said, reaching for Robin's utility belt. "Rob always keeps glow sticks in one of the pockets."

Kaldur nodded as Wally felt for the clasp of the belt. He undid it and rummaged through the pockets as quickly as he could in the dark.

"Got 'em!" he exclaimed. He pulled out six glow sticks and cracked them. A red glow was cast over them. Wally handed two of the sticks to Aqualad and threw the others in front of them.

"I don't get it. Why didn't they use a different bomb? We weren't even hurt!" Wally said after a moment, frowning.

"They-they meant for us to suffocate. Look around. There is no way out. We have a limited air supply," Kaldur said, fear creeping into his mind.

Wally's eyes grew wide as he looked up. Kaldur was indeed correct: there was only one entrance to the cave, and the bomb had blocked it. A gigantic pile rocks sat in front of it.

"Come. Let us move as far away from the front as possible. In case of a rock slide," Kaldur said, gently picking Robin up and walking to the back of the cave, about twenty feet back. He set Robin down again and sat next to him as Wally joined them.

"D-did M'gann link us up?" Wally asked shakily.

Kaldur sighed. "She did, after you and Robin left. But I fear we are out of range."

Wally gulped again. Then he brightened.

"Our com units! Duh!" he exclaimed, pressing a finger to his own.

"Kid Flash to team. Guys? Can you-" he stopped as the sound of static filled his ears.

He shut his eyes tightly, lowering his hand. "No signal," he informed Aqualad, who nodded solemnly.

"I suspected as much."

"What do we do?" Wally whispered.

"All we can do is wait," Kaldur replied. "The team knows vaguely of our location but I did not get a chance to give them exact coordinates. But they will arrive eventually. It is Robin we must be concerned about at the moment. His fever needs to be brought down."

Wally nodded but then stopped. "But we don't have anything cold or-"

He stopped to watch Kaldur, who was changing the appearance of his sword. Instead of being shaped into a weapon, the water that formed the swords was floating in the air, looking extremely bizarre to Wally.

The water floated above Robin's forehead. Kaldur brought it down slowly to touch the overheated skin.

Robin jolted awake, coughing. "Wh-wha-"

"Shh, it's just us, buddy. The men threw a bomb in the cave: we're sealed in but the team is on their way," Wally said, his voice holding a false cheery tone.

Robin coughed again. "S'cold…"

"I am sorry, my friend. But your fever is much too high," Kaldur said soothingly as he continued to hold the cool water over Robin's face.

Robin nodded slowly, trying to sit up. He got up as far as propping himself up on his elbows, at which point he fell back with a gasp.

Wally caught him, moving to sit cross-legged and letting Robin rest his head on his knee. "You okay?"

Robin shook his head weakly. "Ache's…getting worse…Guys, I-I-"

Robin sneezed quietly into his arm and the action made his body jerk. This time, he actually gave a cry of pain.

Wally stroked Robin's hair comfortingly as Kaldur put his sword away. The water was doing nothing to bring down the boy's fever.

"Guys…I think…think it's bird flu…doesn't feel like…the normal…normal kind…" Robin continued, sniffling.

"Don't say that!" Wally exclaimed, frightened. "How could you know-?"

"First day…on mission…those…those birds, remember? The small…yellow ones…they kinda scratched me…they didn't…didn't touch you," Robin coughed.

Wally let Robin's words sink in. He closed his eyes tightly as he thought back to the first day of their stakeout. A small flock of exotic birds had flown at himself and Robin the moment the two had gotten off the bio-ship, attempting to scare off the intruders. He had run out of their reach while Robin had swatted at them.

Robin was right. He remembered now.

He opened his eyes to look at Aqualad. The dark-skinned Atlantian had his eyes shut too, guilt etched onto his face.

"I-I am so sorry. This is my fault. I obviously missed the men who threw the bomb at us-" he started, annoyance at himself evident in his voice.

Robin cut him off. "Not…not your fault, Kal…you couldn't'- couldn't-"

Robin sneezed twice again, moaning softly. Kaldur took the Boy Wonder's gloved hand and held it tightly in his own.

Wally pulled his cowl down, wiping at his forehead again and thinking hard.

He wasn't that skilled in the biological or medical fields. His specialty was chemistry. But he knew enough about bird flu to know that unless the team arrived quickly, Robin might just die.

_Shut up! Why are you thinking like that? This is Rob we're talking about…he's always okay…_

His thoughts were interrupted when Kaldur spoke.

"I am not too familiar with human illnesses. What exactly is bird flu?" he asked.

"It's spread…spread by birds…in some countries…Looks like the normal flu…but…it's deadly…You gotta be…be vaccinated soon…if you get it…" Robin panted.

"Don't talk," Wally commanded, fear rising in his throat as he took note of how hard the simple task of speaking was for Robin.

"S'funny, isn't it...? _Robin _getting…getting bird flu…" Robin said, ignoring Wally.

Wally would have laughed had the situation not been so grave.

The three sat in silence for a few minutes, Robin coughing occasionally. Then he spoke again.

"Y-you guys…you need t'know…what might happen…"he said, his voice growing weaker still. He forced himself into a sitting position, ignoring his companions' protests, leaning back against the wall of the cave. He pushed the pain aside. They needed to know.

"R-right now, the flu's at…at the moderate stage," Robin said, putting more energy than he had into his voice. "The muscle aches will get worse and I'll…have…have more trouble breathing. The f-fever'll get higher…When it gets more serious…I'll start feeling nauseous…I might…might even have amnesia from…from the fever. The…the final stage'll start when…when I show signs of…bronchitis or…or pneumonia…"

More silence followed his words.

"It shall not come to that, Robin," Kaldur said, both soothingly and firmly. "The team shall arrive."

"Might…might run out of air before…before then, 'member?" Robin said, coughing.

"Wow, Boy Wonder," Wally said, rolling his eyes. "Such the optimist, aren't you?"

"Only bein'…realistic…" Robin replied, his words slurring. He was starting to feel drowsy.

Wally noticed this right away, as did Kaldur.

"Should we- should we maybe try to shift some of the rock? See if we can get out?" Wally asked.

Kaldur shook his head. "It is much too risky. The whole cave might come down on us. It is best that we wait for the team."

Wally nodded, trying to appear calm. But on the inside, he was freaking out, trying not to imagine their situation's possible outcomes.

Robin's coughs had increased, and they sounded more painful now than they had before. Sweat still shone on his face, yet he still trembled with cold.

"KF…K-Kal…it's really…really cold…" Robin whispered.

Wally looked down at his friend sympathetically. Robin was slumped against the cave's wall, between himself and Kaldur. "I know, Rob…here-"

He gently laid Robin down on the ground, unclipping his cape. Kaldur carefully held Robin's upper body off the ground as Wally folded the black and yellow cloth into a makeshift pillow. They lowered Robin back down, putting his head on the cape.

Robin slowly rolled to his side, wincing, to face his two friends. They could hear his breath rattling in his chest cavity. Robin closed his eyes tightly as he sneezed for a fourth time.

"Need a tissue, Rob?" Wally asked softly.

Robin sniffled. "Nah…even…if I did…where'd you plan on…getting one?" he asked, laughing hoarsely.

Wally snorted. "I'm surprised you don't any in your belt."

"Yeah…" Robin said, shivering harder.

Wally and Kaldur watched their friend tremble, feeling useless. Then, Wally facepalmed.

He struggled out of the top of his uniform, tossing it to the side and sighing with relief as the sweaty material parted contact with his body. Then, he proceeded to lie down next to his best friend. He wrapped his arms around the younger and pulled Robin so that the thirteen year-old's chest touched his own warm one.

"That better, dude?" Wally asked, rubbing Robin's back.

"K-kinda…"

Kaldur moved to lie on Robin's other side, sharing his body heat with Robin too, his chest against Robin's back. "Are you sure this is wise? We are only encouraging his fever."

"I- I don't know…" Wally admitted. He couldn't just watch his friend shake with cold while he sat there, a portable human heater!

The three laid in silence, other than Robin's coughs and sniffles.

After a while, Robin was asleep, his breath just as raspy as before.

"Kaldur…what if the others don't make it here in time?" Wally whispered, panic gnawing at the edges of his mind.

"They will, Wally. Have faith," Kaldur said, he too whispering. He looked down at their youngest teammate, muttering an Atlantian prayer.

Wally tried to calm his nerves, rubbing circles onto Robin's upper arm absently, taking deep breaths.

He closed his eyes, trying to fall asleep, anything to pass time. Kaldur did the same, Wally's question swimming **(AN: hee hee, get it?)** in his mind and his ears searching for any noise coming from outside the cave.

Another few minutes passed, neither of them saying a word, each submersed in their thoughts. Then, Robin moaned, his eyes fluttering open.

"Hey, Rob. Feeling better?" Wally asked gently, loosening his hold on the Boy Wonder.

Robin didn't respond. Instead, he wriggled out of his friends' holds and got to his feet, swaying. He staggered as far away from Kaldur and Wally as he could. Then, he stopped and fell to all fours.

Wally was by Robin's side in a second, holding him as he vomited onto the ground. Kaldur came over too, tenderly brushing Robin's hair back as the Boy Wonder panted, his face contorting with pain.

Robin's previous words echoed in Wally's brain.

"_When it gets more serious…I'll start feeling nauseous…"_

Wally felt his eyes fill with tears as Robin retched again, coughing.

"They'll be here soon, buddy," Wally said, his voice wavering as he held Robin tighter. "They'll be here."

* * *

**Awwww, poor Robbie-poo! What ever will he do?**

**Oh my god, I cannot rhyme and make it sound good.**

**I really hope you guys like this. There will be one more chapter on the way, then I can get started on the Slade/Robin story I mentioned in Sacrifice's AN.**

**VVVVVVVVVVVVV**

**VVVVVVVVVVVV**

**VVVVVVVVVVVV**

**VVVVVVVVVVVV**

**VVVVVVVVVVVV**

**VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV**

**VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV**

**VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV**

**VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV**

**VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV**

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**EVERY TIME I MAKE AN ARROW, IT LOOKS LIKE A FUNNEL! GAHHHH**

**BTW, I made the font red when I made all the V's. Not that you guys can see that :P RED ARROW FTW!**

**I'll stop annoying you all now.**

**Review!...Please!**

**~Zara**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:**

**Guys. Guys. GUYS GUYS GUYS GUYS. I AM FREAKING OUT AND SPAZZING! WHY? *******************************REALLY BIG SPOILER BELOW, go to the next line of stars if you don't wanna read it:**

**NIGHTWING IS IN YOUNG JUSTICE INVASION'S FIRST EPISODE! TYPE UP NIGHTWING YOUNG JUSTICE ON GOOGLE IMAGES AND IT'S THERE. HE IS STANDING NEXT TO BATMAN. IT IS ONE HUNDRED PERCENT LEGIT. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.**

**I WANT MY BABY ROBIN BACK (even though he is HAWT as Nightwing ;]) I don't want him to be Nightwing yetttttttt. I can't even describe how I reacted when I first saw it. I screamed and my mom thought I was dying. Seriously. Then I told my younger sis (13) and she screamed too (even though she is not as obsessed with Robin as I am. She likes Batman. Which is creepy, since he's, like, 32 or something.**

******************************************END SPOILER**

**So, I decided to update Bird Flu in order to relieve some stressss.**

**Yeah.**

**I got a GIGANTIC load of AP bio homework today…seriously, last week we had to do two questions and today, my teacher gave us SIXTY LOOONNGGG questions and two textbook chapters to read. I was like, why? WHYYY? And yet, I'm still updating.**

**Oh, let me clear something up: I was an idiot and confused some people. Yes, I take AP biology. No, I am not in 12****th**** grade! I skipped my grade's science and math classes, so I take AP courses for those two subjects. 'Kay? Sorry about that. We still call 'em AP classes in my school. Hee hee, I's such a nerd :D**

…**Ready for this?**

**WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, HERE IS BIRD FLU!  
I seriously need to stop rhyming.**

**Please review!**

**~Zara**

* * *

_Wally felt his eyes fill with tears as Robin retched again, coughing._

"_They'll be here soon, buddy," Wally said, his voice wavering as he held Robin tighter. "They'll be here."_

Ten minutes later, Robin stopped vomiting.

His body slumped, exhausted, into Wally's waiting arms. The speedster reached over and grabbed one of his discarded gloves, still holding onto his best friend.

Wally gently wiped Robin's mouth and tossed the glove away again. He stood with Robin in his arms and walked back over to where they were sitting before. Kaldur kicked some dirt over the vomit before joining them.

Wally settled Robin in his lap this time, instead of on the ground. He put Robin's head on his shoulder and he could feel the heat radiating from the boy.

Wally felt Robin's forehead again. The heat was so intense that he knew that, had he had them on, he could have felt it through his gloves.

"It's gotten higher," Wally breathed to Kaldur.

Kaldur'ahm looked at the ebony. Robin was still shivering and seemed barely conscious.

"We have to remove some of his clothing," Kaldur said firmly. "The fever _must _be brought down."

Wally nodded, motioning for Aqualad to take Robin from his arms. Kaldur did so, gently settling Robin onto his own lap.

Wally got to his knees and swiftly undid the clasps of Robin's tunic. Then, he removed the Kevlar vest.

Underneath, Robin's chest rose and fell haphazardly. It was shining slightly with sweat, outlining the Boy Wonder's strong abs.

Robin moaned as the air hit his body. He coughed and shivered harder, turning to bury his face into Aqualad's chest.

"Sorry, Rob," Wally whispered, taking Robin back into his lap again. "But your fever's getting out of hand."

Robin could only cough in response.

"We are not doing enough," Kaldur said. He took Wally's clean glove and took out his sword again, doing the same water manipulation trick he had earlier. He drenched the glove, cursing himself as to why he didn't do this earlier.

He took the cool, damp glove and ran it across Robin's forehead. Robin moaned again, nuzzling into Wally's chest.

Kaldur continued to wipe at Robin's face and neck, mentally apologizing as Robin trembled.

Robin sneezed again, his face still against Wally's chest. The kid didn't even have the strength to turn away.

Had it been anyone else, Wally would have been slightly disgusted. But this was Robin, his best friend, his little brother. So, Wally rubbed Robin's bare back as the Boy Wonder sneezed again.

Robin sniffled and snuggled deeper into Wally's chest and it was then that Wally fully realized.

Robin was only _thirteen. _Just a baby.

Yes, he was the Boy Wonder. Yes, he was the first partner to a League member. Yes, he was the protégé of Batman. Yes, he had more experience in crime fighting than anyone on the team. Yes, he had witnessed the death of his own family and dozens of others.

But that did not change the fact that he was only thirteen.

Wally felt a lone tear slide down his face.

"Kaldur," he whispered. "They have to get here soon…"

"I know, Kid," Aqualad replied softly. Worry was beginning to take over his emotions; they had been in the cave for four hours.

And whether it was because he was panicking or because it really was, Wally thought the air seemed heavier, more humid.

They didn't have much oxygen left.

Robin's sniffle lulled him out of those terrifying thoughts. Wally quickly took Robin's discarded cape and used the hem of it to wipe Robin's nose gently.

"Thanks…" Robin whispered hoarsely, sniffling again.

"Don't talk, dude," Wally told him once more.

There was a short silence.

Which was, again, broken by a fit of coughing from Robin. But this fit seemed to be the most painful one of all.

Wally felt Robin's body shake with the force of the coughs and he squeezed him gently, trying to provide some sort of comfort. Kaldur reached over and slid Robin's gloves off, holding one of his hands in both of his own.

When the coughs subsided, Robin put a hand to his chest, wincing.

"Guys…" By now, Robin's voice was so weak and raspy that it was barely audible. "Guys, I…I don't think- "

"Shhh," Wally said quickly, knowing perfectly well what Robin had been about to say. "They're coming."

Wally stroked Robin's slightly damp hair as the younger coughed again.

Robin panted, trying to catch his breath, and Kaldur and Wally watched with fearful eyes as he did so.

Then they heard them.

They were faint, but definitely there.

Voices. More than one of them.

"GUYS!" Wally yelled. He almost shot to his feet, but remembered that he was holding Robin and stopped. "GUYS, WE'RE IN HERE!"

Kaldur quickly got up and got as close to the pile of rocks as he could without touching it.

"Team, are you there?" he called loudly.

He heard a female voice but could not hear it clearly. A few seconds later the same voice sounded in his mind, as well as in Robin's and Wally's.

"_Kaldur? Are you all online?_" M'gann asked telepathically.

"_Yes. You must get us out, now. Our air supply is diminishing quickly. And Robin is very ill,_" Kaldur informed her.

The Atlantian felt Miss Martian's worry through the mind link.

"_Move back, Aqualad," _she said. _"I'm going to stabilize the rocks."_

"_Go ahead," _Kaldur said after moving backwards.

The rock pile seemed to vibrate a bit, a few of the rocks falling out of it and hitting the ground. Then, a barely-there white glow surrounded the pile.

Wally stood up slowly and joined Kaldur in front of the pile, still holding Robin to his chest.

"_Okay, Conner," _M'gann said. "_It's stable._"

A few seconds later, Wally and Kaldur could hear the Kryptonian heaving at the rocks and tossing them away.

Wally nuzzled Robin's hair. "Hang on, Rob. They're almost in."

In a few minutes, Superboy's hand shot through the small gap he had made in the pile. He pushed the other rocks out of the way, and Wally and Kaldur scrambled backwards as they tumbled downward.

Finally, the gap was big enough for the teens to fit through. Wally zoomed up to it.

"Take him," he said breathlessly, holding Robin out to Conner. "He needs medical attention."

The clone nodded, easily holding Robin in his muscular arms. The Boy Wonder was almost unconscious again, still panting.

Wally and Kaldur stepped through the gap too. Wally took in a deep breath, thankful for the fresh air.

M'gann took her hands away from her temple, where she had been holding them, and turned to Kid Flash and Aqualad.

"I'm calling the bioship now," she said, her eyes glowing green.

"What's wrong with Robin?" Artemis gasped. She was kneeling by Robin; Superboy had sat down on the forest floor, still holding the little bird.

Robin's flushed face could be seen clearer in the moonlight. He was still shaking; sweat glimmered like diamonds on his shoulders. His breathing was even more erratic.

"Bird flu," Wally said shortly. Artemis put her hand on Robin's forehead.

"Oh my god-he-he's burning!" she gasped.

"We know," Wally said, closing his eyes.

Then, the bioship appeared in the air above them, the walkway sliding out silently.

Conner immediately ran onto the ship, the others on his heels.

Miss Martian slid into the pilot's chair, raising the ship into the night sky as Conner gently set Robin down on the medical bed in the left corner of the ship. The teens gathered around their baby brother.

M'gann set the ship on autopilot and joined the group.

"Where- where should we take him?" she asked worriedly, feeling Robin's forehead herself and flinching at the heat. "Back to the cave?"

"Won't that take too-?" Wally was cut off by Kaldur.

"Yes, that is the best choice," Kaldur'ahm said. "There is a guaranteed vaccine there."

M'gann nodded, setting the ship on a return route with her mind.

"He needs oxygen," Wally said worriedly, sitting on the medical bed by Robin's head. "And some sort of fever-reducer." M'gann nodded, gathering supplies.

"Why is he shivering?" Artemis whispered, holding Robin's hand; the Boy Wonder was asleep, his breathing labored.

"His body is too overheated," Conner replied. "It's tricking itself into thinking it's cold."

"Here," M'gann said. "It's the strongest fever-reducer we have right now."

She handed Wally a small syringe, full to the brim with a clear medicine. Wally quickly injected it into Robin's arm.

Artemis grabbed a tissue and wiped at Robin's runny nose as M'gann flipped the on switch to the ventilator that stood next to the bed. She gently slipped the mask over Robin's mouth and nose.

Robin rasped as oxygen made its way into his lungs. He moaned a bit, twisting on the bed.

Figuring that the fever medicine would do some good, Wally took a black blanket out of one of the ship's cabinets; he couldn't stand to watch Robin shiver any longer.

Walking back over to the bed, Wally carefully tucked the blanket around Robin. Then, he sat on the bed on Robin's left, Artemis moving to sit on his right.

Artemis gently ran her fingers through Robin's hair as Wally looked anxiously at his best friend's face.

M'gann went back over to the pilot's seat, taking the ship off of auto pilot; she could fly it faster manually.

Conner and Kaldur both kneeled by Robin's bed, worry evident on both of their faces.

"M'gann, what is our ETA?" Kaldur asked, looking over at the auburn haired girl.

"Four hours*, she's flying as fast as possible," Miss Martian replied.

Kaldur nodded and turned back to Robin.

Wally felt Robin's forehead again, whose face was slowly losing its pink flush.

"It's going down," he said, smiling widely. "He's gonna be okay."

* * *

The ship flew over Happy Harbor. M'gann contacted the cave.

"Black Canary, Red Tornado," she said clearly. "We're approaching the cave. Robin is sick and needs immediate medical attention."

"Roger that, M'gann." Black Canary's worried voice sounded throughout the ship. "What's wrong with Robin?"

"Bird flu," M'gann said, her voice faltering a bit.

"Oh god," Dinah breathed. "I'll meet you in the landing bay."

Ten minutes later, the ship flew through the open bay doors and came to a halt in the landing bay. Artemis removed Robin's oxygen mask as Conner took the Boy Wonder back into his arms.

Black Canary was at Conner's side the moment he was off of the ship.

"I've readied the infirmary," she said, taking Robin from Superboy's arms and holding him just as easily. "Tell the team to meet me there."

Conner nodded as Dinah ran towards the medical wing.

The rest of the team made its way after her.

In the medical room, Black Canary had laid Robin down on a bed. She was rummaging through the cabinets that lined the walls.

"Batman is in Gotham; Penguin was causing trouble," she said over her shoulder as the team surrounded Robin again. "But he'll be here as soon as he can."

Taking a large case out of the cabinet, Dinah laid it on one of the empty beds. She opened it. It was full of vaccines for every kind of disease imaginable, from yellow fever to malaria.

Quickly grabbing the one labeled "bird flu," Black Canary hurried over to Robin and injected it into his arm.

"He should be okay," she said quietly, setting the empty syringe down. "It'll take a few weeks, but he will recover."

Wally let out a sigh, shooting Kaldur a grin. The Atlantian too looked relieved.

Dinah felt Robin's forehead. His temperature had indeed decreased, but to someone who had not felt it previously, it seemed high.

Extracting a thermometer from another cabinet, she slipped it inside Robin's mouth.

The device beeped and Dinah read the small numbers.

"102˚," she muttered. She turned to the teens.

"Someone get that small case from the bottom cabinet, and take out the syringe labeled F-34," she instructed.

Wally obeyed, handing Black Canary the syringe. She injected it into Robin.

"Fever-reducer," she said, answering the unasked question. "A weak one, seeing as I'm assuming you already gave him one?"

Artemis nodded. "What do we do now?"

"Hook him up to the ventilator," Black Canary replied.

M'gann floated over to the machine that stood beside Robin's bed, turning it on and putting the mask over Robin's mouth again.

After a while, Robin's breathing was steadier than it had been all night. Conner retrieved a small towel and handed it to Wally, who used it to wipe the sweat off of Robin's shoulders and face.

The ebony was still shivering slightly. Artemis looked at Black Canary, silently questioning her.

"Go ahead," Dinah said, nodding.

Artemis quickly scooped up one of the white blankets that were stacked inside of another cabinet. She walked back over to the bed, tucking it snuggly around Robin's lithe body.

Soon enough, Robin stopped trembling. For the first time, the pain faded from his face and he relaxed into peaceful slumber.

Wally and Artemis both seated themselves on either side of Robin on the bed. Conner and M'gann both sat on the bed next to Robin's while Kaldur stood next to it. They all watched their youngest member sleep for a moment. Black Canary spoke then.

"Will you guys be alright here?" she asked softly, looking at the teens. "I have to get going. I was only here because Red Tornado was needed by the League."

"Yes, we shall be fine. Thank you," Kaldur said, his eyes never leaving Robin's face.

Dinah nodded and moved forward to get closer to Robin. She bent down and gently kissed his forehead.

"Let me know when he wakes," she requested. She left, giving a small wave.

Once the infirmary doors closed, there was more silence, which was broken by the beeping of Aqualad's com unit.

"_Batman to Aqualad._" The Dark Knight's voice sounded in Kaldur's ear.

"I am here, Batman," Kaldur replied, pressing a finger to his com. He could hear sounds of a battle going on on Batman's side, accompanied by the sound of manic laughter and gunshots.

"_How is Robin?_" Batman asked, his voice urgent yet focused.

"Black Canary has vaccinated him. He still has a fever but it is going down and he is currently asleep," Kaldur said carefully. All eyes were on him as he spoke.

Batman gave a barely audible sigh. "_Keep an eye on him. I'm not going to be done here anytime soon. Batman out._"

Kaldur took his finger off his com, turning to the team.

"Batman asked us to watch Robin; he has a situation in Gotham."

Wally snorted. "Did he really have to _tell_ us to watch him?"

Kaldur gave a light smile, his eyes already back on Robin.

* * *

Robin slept on for about an hour, during which the team dozed, Kaldur moving to sit on another bed.

The older teens jerked awake as they heard a small moan. In a second, they were all gathered around Robin yet again.

The Boy Wonder was stirring, the lenses of his mask slowly opening. After blinking a few times, Robin's azure orbs opened fully behind the black domino mask.

"Hey, Rob. How are you feeling?" Wally asked quietly, still in his position on the bed.

Robin cleared his throat slightly before speaking. "M'fine," he murmured.

He tried to sit up, and Wally quickly helped him to do so.

Robin reached up to pull the oxygen mask off of his face. He coughed a few times, his hand going to his bare chest.

"Are you sure you're alright?" M'gann asked worriedly, putting her hand over Robin's.

Robin smirked good-naturedly. "I'm fine, Miss M. Thanks to you guys."

Wally visibly relaxed. Then, a mixture of relief and irritability flitted across his face.

"Dude, never scare us like that again!" he exclaimed, giving Robin's arm a playful punch.

Robin smiled tiredly, leaning back into his pillows. "No promises," he said, yawning.

"You should rest," Kaldur said, moving forward to squeeze Robin's shoulder. "You need time to recover."

Robin didn't even argue. Instead, he laid back down and Conner pulled the blanket back over him.

The team watched Robin drift off again. Then-

"So…" Artemis said, smirking. "_Robin _with the _bird _flu?"

"Shuddup…" came Robin's slurred response.

The older teens laughed, finally at ease.

Their baby brother was safe. He was going to recover.

And that's all that mattered.

* * *

**DONEEEE! I can focus on Sacrifice again now! I haven't even started chapter 5 :o**

**For those who don't know, Happy New Year photos and a clip have been released! You can find 'em on Tumblr, I think. **

**I hope you guys all liked this. Ending was kinda weak and sorry, but no Daddy Bats in this story! That's being saved for Sacrifce ;)**

**Please review! And if you did read the spoiler, tell me your thoughts about it please!**

***I knooowww you can't fly from India to the US in four hours...just bear with me ;)**

**In reality, humans don't always recover from bird flu. There aren't enough human cases to prove otherwise. So, my ending was unrealistic. BUT, did you want Robin to die? Didn't think so :D**

**~Zara**


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